Infineon Technologies is expanding its EZ-USB family of USB 3.2 peripheral controllers with the new high-bandwidth EZ-USB FX20. The EZ-USB FX20 incorporates high-speed USB and LVDS interfaces that can handle data rates up to 20 Gbps, delivering six times more bandwidth capacity than prior models.
EZ-USB FX20 USB peripheral controller.
Infineon designed the new high-speed USB peripheral controller to help developers create USB-connected devices with sufficient data bandwidths to support the next generation of AI, image processing, and other high-data-rate applications.
The EZ-USB FX20 is available in a compact 10 mm x 10 mm BGA package for small form factor designs. The new USB controller also supports USB-C connectivity without needing a high-speed signal multiplexer to reduce design complexity. A quick-start development kit incorporates firmware and a configuration tool to facilitate system integration.
Features of the USB Peripheral Controller
The EZ-USB FX20 controller (product brief linked) receives high-speed data from the peripheral system processor through one or both high-bandwidth LVDS/LVCMOS data interfaces. Each low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) interface has 16 receive channels that can handle up to 1.25 Gbps of data each for a combined data rate of 20 Gbps.
A direct memory access (DMA) controller transfers the peripheral device data stream to the USB ports. There, the data is configured according to USB 3.2 protocols and transmitted across the USB cable to the host device (like a computer) via the physical layer (PHY).
EZ-USB FX20 block diagram.
To support the operation of the high-bandwidth USB data channels, the EZ-USB FX20 integrates dual Arm Cortex M4F and MO+ controllers, 512 KB of Flash, a 128-KB SRAM, a 128-KB ROM, and several serial communication blocks (SCB). Along with the other memory blocks, an additional 1024 kB of SRAM is dedicated specifically to the data communication subsystem for buffering data to be communicated via the USB ports.
The Need for USB Peripheral Control
The Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard that supports the wired exchange of data and power between electronic devices and computers. The standard defines both the physical interface requirements and communication protocols for transferring data and power between a host device and a peripheral device (like a keyboard or display). USB-C is the current 24-pin connector standard that replaces prior USB connector types. Along with power, USB-C can also transfer audio, video, and other data.
Within a USB-connected peripheral device, the USB controller interfaces with the device processor to properly configure system data (video, audio, or data) for communication across the wired USB connection to the host device.
For high-bandwidth peripheral devices, the increased data rate (20 Gbps) of the USB-EZ FX20 reduces latency and increases resolution for advanced imaging, AI data processing, and other high-bandwidth applications.
The EZ-USB FX20 is currently sampling, with full production slated for Q1 of 2025.
All images used courtesy of Infineon.
